Lighting fixture



y 1942- s. R. NAQYSMITH ,493

LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed May 29, 1941 J. A p INVENTOR T Shirley R. Naysmzlh F-El BY I W- ATTORNEY I tending flanges l3, l3 carried on the upper side Patented July 28, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE LIGHTING FIXTURE Shirley R. Naysmith, Meriden, Conn., assignor to The Miller Company, Meriden, Conm, a corporation oi Connecticut Application May 29, 1941, Serial No. 395,757

6 Claims. (Cl. 240-78)- The present invention relates to lighting fixtures, and is more particularly directed toward totally enclosed fluorescent lighting fixtures.

The present invention contemplates fluorescent lighting fixtures adapted for pendent mounting and totally enclosed to provide both direct and indirect lighting.

According to the present invention the light ing fixture employs a generally horizontal body adapted to be supported below the ceiling, and this body usually made of sheet metal is provided with fixed end plates longer than the width of the body so as to extend beyond the sides of the body, and these extensions are employed to support lamp sockets which carry 1 fluorescent lamps.

An object of the present invention is to provide removable light difiusing covers which extend above and below the lamps and on the outside of the lamps so that all the light is difiused.

Aiurther object of the invention is to provide means for supporting the difiusing enclosures parts broken away to show interior construc-- tion;

Figures 3 and 4 are fragmentary vertical longitudinal sections on the planes 33 and 44 of Figures 2 and 5 and Figure 5 is a view at right angles to Figures 2, 3 and 4..

In Figure 1 the fixture is shown as having a conventional canopy Ill and pendent supporting tubes II. The lower ends of these tubes are secured to'cross straps, one of which appears at l2. These straps are welded to inwardly exof a generally trough-shaped sheet metal body member I. Straps I5 across the bottom orthe body support the auxiliaries lli, l1, while other straps l8 across the top of the body" member ll support the starters indicated at IS. The body 'support cast end plates 22.

mexzraber is covered by suitable plates indicated at The body is also provided at the ends with four angle members 2| secured in place by welding, and these angle members are employed to These end plates are considerably longer than the width of the body member, as will be apparent from Figures 2 and 5. They are provided with central openings 23 to accommodate the wires, such as indicated at 24, which pass from the starters and auxiliaries to the lamp sockets. The lamp sockets are indicated at 25. They are mounted opposite openings 26 provided in the casting 22 to admit wires to the back sidesof the lamp sockets. Fluorescent lamps, such as 21,- are carried in-the sockets.

Longitudinally extending strips 28, 28 at the top or the body and 29, 29 at the bottom of the body form channels which may extend, as here shown, to the center of the fixture. The fixture body also carries U-shaped frames indicated at 30 in Figure 2, which extend outwardly, downwardly and inwardly to have the same configuration as the outer ends of the fixed end plates 22. The vertical depth or these end plates and the frames 30 is slightly less than the spacing of th'e channels formed by the strips 28 and 29.

Each pair of lamps 21, 21 is received within a difiusing closure 3l. This closure is made of one or more pieces of difl'using sheet plastic formed to shape and or a size to fit about the exposed ends of the end platesand with its edges inside the grooves formed by the longitudinal strips." and 29. The inner ends of the diiiusing closures-pass inside the frame 30 as appears at the left 01' Figure 2, while the outer ends fit about the ends of the east end plates and rest "ends of the diffusing closures and ,hold them in place against the fixed end plate. The hinged stamping 35 forms a movable end plate which conceals the wiring as will be apparent. It may be ornamented by a suitable casting 39 which provides a center ornament, and this casting may" extend down to a sheet metal ornamental strip 40 carried below the body member I4. Whenever it is necessary to relamp the fixture the hinged end members may be swung upwardly and'the diffusing closures 3| removed, solthat access may be had to the lamps on one side of the fixture to remove them. The starters are here carried near the center of the fixture at the top and are available for replacement without disturbing any other part of the fixture.

- It is obvious that the invention may be embodied in other forms and constructions within the scope of the claims, I wish it to be understood that the particular form shown is but one of these forms, and various modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwise limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is: v

1. A fluorescent lighting fixture comprising a narrow horizontal body, an end plate fixed to the ends of the body and extending laterally from the sides of the body, pairs of fluorescent lamp sockets carried by each lateral projection of the end plates, fluorescent lamps in the sockets,

fluorescent lamp auxiliaries carried by the body,

' substantially equal to the depth of the body,

fluorescent lamp sockets carried by the plates,

fluorescent lampsin the sockets, light difiusing .screensoi v,U-shaped cross section and having upperwalls above the lamps, lower walls below the lamps and outer walls outside the lamps,

the ends of the screens engaging the top, bottom and ends of the projecting portions of the end plates, the inneredges of the screens engaging the body at the top and bottom thereof, and means for securing the screens in place.

3. A lighting fixture such as claimed in claim 2, wherein the securing means includes laterally opening grooves provided in the body for receiving the edges of the screens.

4. A lighting fixture such as claimed in claim 2, wherein the securing means includes plates hinged above the end plates and normally ex tending down outside the fixed end plates and having peripheral flanges to fit the outside of the screens.

' 5. A lighting fixture having a body provided with two horizontally extending laterally opening grooves one above the otherjtwo end plates projecting laterally of the body at its ends, the vertical depth of the projecting portions of the plates being slightly less than the vertical spacing of the grooves, fluorescent lamps extending between the end plates, a light diffusing screen having its edges in the grooves and at least one end extending about the projecting portion of an end plate, and a cover plate having flanges extending over the ends of the screen.

6. A lighting fixture comprising a horizontal sheet metal trough having a bottom, side walls and inwardly extending fianges along the upper v edges of the side walls, longitudinally extending strips secured to the flanges and to the bottom wall and spaced therefrom to form upper and lower channels, end plates secured to the trough and extending laterally of the sides of the trough, fluorescent lamps carried by sockets secured to the plates, light diffusing screens of U-shaped cross section having their edges in the grooves and extending above, outside and below the lamps, and cover plates about the end plates and having flanges overlying the ends of the screens.

j SHIRLEY R. NAYSMITH. 

